Criminal Justice News

Monday, August 12, 2013

Jury Convicts Whitey Bulger

FEDERAL
JURY CONVICTS JAMES "WHITEY" BULGER

August
12 (Boston) – Following a two-month long trial in U.S. District Court a federal
jury today convictedJames J. Bulger,
for the murder of 11 people, as well as numerous counts of extortion, money
laundering, drug dealing, and firearms possession.

After
deliberating for over 32 hours, over five days, the jury found the former
fugitive guilty of racketeering conspiracy and numerous racketeering acts of
murder, extortion, narcotics distribution, money laundering and possession of
firearms including machineguns. With this verdict, the jury has found that
Bulger played a role in the murders of Deborah Hussey, Paul McGonagle, Edward
Connors, Thomas King, Richard Castucci, Roger Wheeler, Brian Halloran, Michael
Donahue, John Callahan, Arthur Barrett and John McIntyre.

Bulger,
the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, ran a vast criminal network that
emanated from South Boston and controlled much of the city and the surrounding
areas during the 1970s and 1980s. In order to generate money and maintain dominance
among other criminal enterprises, Bulger and his associates engaged in numerous
illegal activities such as loansharking, extortion of local business owners and
bookmakers, trafficking of narcotics and firearms, and murder.Bulger, and associates under his direction,
used violence, threats, and intimidation to carry out these illegal
activities.

In
late 1994, upon learning of his impending indictment, Bulger fled
Massachusetts. On June 22, 2011, Bulger and his companion, Catherine Greig,
were arrested in Santa Monica, California after 16 years on the run. Greig was
later convicted of conspiracy to harbor a fugitive and is currently serving
eight years in federal prison.

U.S.
District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for November 13.
Bulger faces a maximum of up to life, plus 30 years in prison.

John
J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration,
Boston Field Division; United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Colonel Timothy
P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; William P. Offord,
Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal
Investigation in Boston; Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General for the
Department of Justice; Vincent Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s
Boston Field Division, and U.S. Marshal John Gibbons made the announcement
today.

The
case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred M. Wyshak, Jr., Brian T.
Kelly and Zachary Hafer of Ortiz’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions
Unit.